Post by matt on Oct 20, 2020 11:27:47 GMT -6
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October 8th, 2020
Allentown, PA
Off Camera
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When you think of Glory Braddock you may think of something upscale, nice, and very luxurious. You would think that when it comes to restaurants or any other establishments where food and drink can be found, you would think of the finest of fine. What you don’t expect is the scene in Allentown, Pennsylvania; a dive, in the truest sense of the word.
The bar is hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing with the rock music that dominates the atmosphere. The bar curves into the room, dark in the barely lit room. Through the windows, the diamonds of lead panes, trickles the sallow light of street-lamps. The smell has changed over the years. Once it was of cigarette smoke only, the perfume that clung to clothing, skin and furniture alike. Now it is stale beer and body odour. There are establishments that are more like restaurants now - all clean with waiting staff. Not here. It was always a den of debauchery, alcoholism and the great unwashed of the town. It still is. No-one comes here with anything wholesome in mind.
This establishment was chosen by Glory best friend Matthew Taylor specifically because it is outside of her comfort zone. Matthew recalls the many times he and Glory would attend karaoke night at some bar after a wrestling show was over and they would almost always go to some little known, run down place such as this. And it is for this reason that Matthew chose this particular bar because he hopes it will trigger some of her old memories of the good old days.
Matthew can only hope that this works, as he sits at a table alongside Glory’s daughter Melinda. Across from them is Glory Braddock herself and Glory’s husband Kurt Logan. Matthew is feeling very awkward, considering the past two meetings with Glory ended with a romantic escape. He can only imagine how Glory is feeling right now, yet she appears to be enjoying herself. She has a beer sitting in front of her which she has been enjoying off and on all night. Her husband Kurt also is enjoying a beer. Matthew is staying dry tonight; he is the designated driver, which is unusual for him. He typically gets shitfaced and Glory is the driver. But he wants Glory to enjoy herself tonight and forget about all of the problems of the past.
“So how are you enjoying your first karaoke night, Kurt m’boy?” Matthew asks, trying to start some conversation. Kurt chuckles.
“This isn’t my first karaoke night and you should know this. Glory and I used to do this all the time. But she quit.”
“Why did we quit anyway?” Glory asks, chiming in. Kurt shrugs his shoulder.
“No clue. I think you just got so caught up in running your business and running the school that you forgot all about this.”
Braddock nods her head as she takes a sip of her beer. “You’re probably right.”
“To starting a new tradition?” Matthew asks, holding up his glass of water offering a toast. Melinda holds up her glass of pepsi and then Kurt and Glory join in with their beers. They all clink together for their toast before taking a sip. They continue to drink away while watching the front and the current singer, a balding middle aged man in a gray t-shirt and black dress pants. He is singing “Take it on the Run” by REO Speedwagon…
“Take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't need you around
I don't believe it, not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the run”
Matthew cannot help but hear these words from this song and think of himself and Glory. He looks over at Braddock to see if the same thoughts are running through her head but she seems unphased. She doesn’t even bat an eye. She’s just smiling, grinning ear to ear.
“Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around”
The music dies down and the people in attendance begin applauding, as do Matthew, Glory, Kurt, and Melinda. The balding man hands the microphone back to the DJ who begins to speak. “Everyone lets hear it for Gary!”
Another polite applause rings out. The DJ checks his list. Matthew watches on and he has been counting down. He suspects that he knows who is next. “And coming up next we have Gloria!”
Braddock sets her beer down and looks over at Melinda, Kurt, and Matthew. “Any requests?”
“Wet Ass Pus…” Melinda begins until her mother shoots her a dirty look. Melinda smirks jokingly. “...just kidding!”
“How about Martina McBride?” Kurt suggests.
“Seriously?” Glory asks. “My cousin, Angelica, who IS a trained singer, can pull that off. But I am anything but trained. I would look awful.”
“Who cares if you’re trained? This isn’t about looking good. Karaoke is about having fun, remember?” Matthew says, hoping Glory will remember that the point of all this is to have fun and to enjoy herself. Glory nods as she seems to get the message.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Braddock stands up and steps away from the table. She takes in a deep breath before approaching the front to stand by the DJ. This is the first time in a very long time she has done karaoke, so of course there are some nerves. The DJ leans over, giving Glory his ear so she can whisper to him what her song choice is.
“Independence Day.”
“Martina?”
“Yes.”
“You got it.”
The DJ hands Glory the microphone as she gazes out at the crowd in attendance. Very few are paying any attention as they are mostly drunk. There a few out there paying attention and among those few there are fewer still who believe that this woman seems familiar, as if they have seen her before. And who knows? Glory Braddock is the reigning MWE Riot Champion and SCW Adrenaline Champion. Perhaps they have seen her on television before? Maybe they have seen Glory Braddock wrestle but cannot quite connect the dots?
Glory casts a gaze towards her table. Matthew and Kurt both give her a thumbs up and her daughter Melinda smiles and waves. Glory is beginning to feel a little more comfortable as the opening chords to Independence Day begins…
“Well she seemed alright by dawn's early light
Though she looked a little worried and weak.
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again
But daddy left the proof on her cheek.
And I was only eight years old that summer
And I always seemed to be in the way
So I took myself down to the fair in town
On Independence Day.”
Many in the bar recognize this song and a low roar is heard. They are also cheering because they recognize her natural ability. Glory is feeling more comfortable and starts to relax a little.
“Well word gets around in a small, small town
They said he was a dangerous man
But mama was proud and she stood her ground
But she knew she was on the losin' end.
Some folks whispered and some folks talked
But everybody looked the other way
And when time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day.”
“Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day.”
Meanwhile back at the table Kurt and Melinda are soaking it all up, enjoying Glory’s performance. Matthew Taylor is enjoying the performance as well but for different reasons. He is noticing the little things. Glory is dancing now and really putting on a show, just like she used to do when he and Glory went out for karaoke night. It also hasn’t gone underneath his notice the way she is dressed; plain denim jeans, sneakers, and a tank top. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She isn’t dressed like a queen or a princess. She is dressed as Glory, the Glory Matthew remembers.
“Well, she lit up the sky that fourth of July
By the time that the firemen come
They just put out the flames
And took down some names
And send me to the county home.
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong
But maybe it's the only way.
Talk about your revolution
It's Independence Day.”
The British Bombshell approaches her table and, much to the shock of her family, specifically Melinda, grabs her and pulls her to her feet and onto the floor. Melinda wasn’t expecting this as her mother seems to encourage her to join in. Matthew gets up out of his seat and takes Melinda and offers a dance. Melinda seems ok with this and the two dance while her mother continues to sing her heart out.
“Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day.
Roll the stone away
It's Independence Day.”
The crowd in attendance cheer loudly. Whether they are being sincere or just polite, Glory doesn’t care. She simply enjoyed herself and that is what’s most important. She hands the microphone back to the DJ.
“Ladies and gentlemen lets hear it for Gloria!”
Another cheer erupts and Glory takes a bow and then walks with her daughter and Matthew back to the table. Kurt chuckles lightly.
“Great performance you three…” he gives his wife a kiss on the cheek “...especially you, babe.”
“Thanks, love.” Glory says with a blush.
“A heads up would be better next time, mom.” Melinda remarks.
“Expect the unexpected around your mother.” Matthew chimes in with a playful wink.
“I learned from a master.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Who says I was talking about you, Matt? I could have learned my performance skills from dad?”
“Are we seriously to believe that your singing ability came from Glenn Braddock The Barbarian? C’mon, Glory, you said it yourself that your cousin is the singer of the family. That tells me that your singing skills probably come from your mother’s side.”
Glory chuckles lightly and nods her head. “You’re probably right. Either way, this feels great. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”
“Really?” Kurt asks. Glory nods her head.
“Yes. I’ve been kicking myself over failing to capture the world title and perhaps injuring Helms, I’ve been obsessing over my business and the school, but now I feel good. I feel better.”
“It’s because you’re starting to enjoy yourself again.” Matthew points out. “It’s what you’ve been missing and neglecting for a long time now. When you refuse to stop and take time to just enjoy yourself then the stress of any and all situations you find yourself in starts to slowly deteriorate your mind. You need to stop and smell the roses every and now and then, mate.”
Braddock rolls her eyes. “What did I tell you about being a philosopher?”
“Sorry, I get it from my sister. She made me read this stupid book about…” Matthew’s cell phone suddenly starts going off. He looks at it and the caller ID reads Francis Taylor. Francis is Matthew’s sister and the president of Glory’s company. “Oh, speak of the devil incarnate…”
“That’s no way to speak of your family.” Glory remarks.
“Wonder what she wants?” Matthew answers the phone and puts it to his ear as he listens intensely. “Yes, what’s up?”
Matthew’s demeanor suddenly changes. He looks worried and nervous. “Whoa, calm down. Repeat that again, but slowly…” he listens again and he looks even more worried “...ok, just call the police. Ok? Yeah, Glory is with me. I’ll tell her. Bye.”
Matthew hangs up. Glory, Kurt, and Melinda all look nervous by now, concerned over what has gone on. “What is it, Matt?”
“Someone tried to kill my sister.”
“What?!” Glory is in shock by this revelation. Matthew nods his head, confirming it to be true.
“She was sent some kind of powder. Possibly anthrax.”
“Assassination plot.” Glory states definitively.
“But how do you…” Matthew begins but Glory cuts him off.
“Isn’t it obvious? This power struggle over my company is still not over.”
The weight of this news is stunning to Glory Braddock. Her actions led to this power struggle, her actions caused these people to want to kill her or send her a message. The first three times they tried targeting her directly now. They are targeting her indirectly. Now they targeted a friend’s sibling who happens to be the president of her company. Glory Braddock cannot help but feel responsible for this. Her actions led to this.
“This is all on my head, Matt. I’m sorry.” Glory says slowly, quietly.
“Don’t say that.” Matthew responds.
“He’s right, what those criminals do is not your responsibility.”
“I brought this upon her, upon you Kurt, upon all of us. My actions brought this on. And now, I need to fix this.”
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October 12th, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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There is an old saying, a proverbial warning if you will, about “chickens coming home to roost.” What does it mean, though? When used as a noun, the word ‘roost' refers to the place where birds rest. When a bird roosts somewhere, it rests there. This rather old saying, ‘chickens have come home to roost', is normally used to mean that the bad things that someone has done in the past have come back to bite or haunt the individual. In other words, it is a warning that your actions in the past, no matter how long ago those actions may have been, will eventually come back to haunt you. Further it is a warning that you cannot run from your past. You cannot hide from it. You will one day have to face it.
Facing down challenges is something Glory Braddock is used to by now. During her wrestling career she has faced down the challenges of many champions, and in the process winning many pieces of gold for her trophy case, and as of now she is the MWE Riot Champion, set to defend that gold against Topher Constantine Jr at the MWE 3 Year Anniversary show. The British Bombshell has taken on other challenges as well, including the challenge of training a new generation of professional wrestlers by taking charge of her late father’s wrestling school. Braddock has also taken on the challenge of the corporate world by buying her own wrestling promotion and building it up into her own image.
Her career has been a success by anyone’s definition and she should be proud of what she has achieved. Unfortunately Braddock has fallen prey to the same flaw of her father; she wanted more. She was not content with the success she had, she wanted to continue to move forward with bigger and better challenges. She wanted to push herself in every aspect of her career. This obsession with being the best has led to some poor decisions and bad judgment and those poor decisions are now coming back to haunt her. Glory’s chickens are coming home to roost at the worst possible time.
Even before her debut as a professional wrestler in 2008, Glory Braddock knew what she wanted to do; make a positive impact for the sport of wrestling. Her family, beginning with Glenn Braddock himself, the patriarch of the family, has always worked hard to improve the sport and Glory knew that she would one day be responsible for continuing his legacy and mission. Now that her father has passed on, the entire mission of the Braddock family has fallen upon her shoulders. The self-proclaimed Best in the World has done that through her wrestling career and by running her father’s school, but she knew she could also make an impact in the business side of professional wrestling. Throughout her career as a wrestler she would watch as corporate suits would ruin the wrestling business; but she knew she could do better. Buying her company, GCW, back in 2012 gave her the opportunity to prove it. And over the past several years she has been working to consolidate power and remove any threat to her rule. Yet the cutthroat tactics she used to obtain unquestioned power in her company has placed her friends and family in grave danger.
Her family was targeted twice by gunmen, once outside of a hotel and they struck her husband Kurt Logan instead of Glory; they tried a second time outside of a church and they struck Glory’s mother Mary Ford who still is in a medically induced coma as a result. A third time assassins tried to kill Glory by running her off of the road. And now, most recently, they tried to poison Francis Taylor, the president of GCW and sister of Glory’s close friend Matthew Taylor. There is no question in Glory’s mind as to who is behind these attacks…
The Alan Family.
Matthew Alan founded the very company Glory now owns. Matthew himself is being tried for white collar crimes but there are factions within the company with connections to other members of his family who would like to see him or his family back in charge of the company. Glory truly believes that these are coordinated attacks intended to bully her out of power or to simply assassinate her so that they can install whoever they want as the new CEO of the company. So how does Glory respond?
The prideful side of The British Bombshell wants to fight back. She doesn’t want to let them get what they want and she doesn’t want to let go of what she fought so hard to obtain. But there is another part of her that questions whether this fight is worth it. Her friends and family have taken the brunt of this assault already and they are lucky to be alive. Who knows how long until their luck runs out and these assassins finally succeed?
All of those questions are on the mind of The British Bombshell who finds herself in her corporate offices at Miami, Florida. The office was painted grey, and it had only one floor-to-ceiling window, which faced the main road. On the grey desk sat a desktop computer, a notebook lying open, and a stack of papers sitting under a turtle-shaped paperweight. In a corner, the air conditioner was blasting at medium, and there was a swivel chair in the middle of the office. A bookshelf, bursting with books was in a corner, with yet another stack of papers under a paperweight that was shaped to look like a tuft of grass. A few pens were lying on the papers, but some had fallen onto the top of the bookshelf.
She is sitting in her office, behind her desk, that is right by a large window that overlooks the Miami skyline. The beautiful blonde is wearing a black pencil skirt that flatters her curves, a matching black suit coat over a white silky blouse. Her feet are encased in black peep-toe high heeled pumps. Her long gorgeous golden blonde locks of hair hang to just below the shoulders. The intense look on her face tells the story of a woman prepared to do anything to defend herself and her family. Today she is to confront the woman she believes may be responsible for everything…
...Matthew Alan’s sister, Jennifer Alan.
BUZZ! The buzzing from her desk phone indicates that her secretary is calling her. Glory presses a button on the phone to turn it on speaker…
“Yes?”
“Ms. Braddock, your...um...eleven o’clock is here to see you.”
“Jennifer Alan?” Glory asks, just to be certain. There is a pause from the other end before she receives her answer in the affirmative.
“Yes, Ms. Braddock.”
“Good, send her in.”
The SCW Adrenaline Champion steels herself in preparation for what she expects to be a tense and rather volatile meeting. This will also be a challenging meeting. Glory Braddock was taught about business by a woman she once considered an adoptive mother, Aphrodite Noel. Jennifer Alan, however, grew up in and around the corporate world. Business is all Jennifer Alan has ever known. Glory will be entering Jennifer’s world in an attempt to end this war. The only thing Braddock has going for her is the fact that Glory is rather comfortable in this world herself.
She watches as the door to her office slowly opens. Jennifer Alan herself steps in the door and shuts it behind her. Jennifer is wearing a dark floral print blouse, a nice pair of dress pants, black patent leather high heel pumps, and her long brown hair has a few curls to it but is otherwise left to hang straight and unrestrained to shoulder length. Jennifer has a stoic gaze upon her face, as does Braddock. Neither wants to be the first to blink, neither wants to give anything away. It is almost like playing poker.
“Ms. Alan, I am glad you could make it.” Glory is the first to speak, breaking the cold, tense ice of this moment. She motions to a seat in front of her desk. “Please, sit down.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Jennifer sits down in a chair and looks around at the office, taking in the atmosphere and environment. She nods her head, almost looking somewhat impressed. “This is a nice office, Braddock.”
“Only the best. I hope your trip to Miami wasn’t too difficult.”
“Not at all. I love Miami, actually.”
A confident smirk forms on Glory’s face as she begins to feel more comfortable. “Me too. It is part of why I moved corporate headquarters out of North Carolina and down here to Florida, that and because of the fact that Florida is more business friendly than North Carolina.”
Glory reaches into her desk and produces two small glasses. She slides one across to Jennifer and keeps one for herself. She reaches back into her desk and produces a small bottle of an alcoholic beverage. She pours some into Jennifer’s glass and then pours some into hers.
“Thank you.” Jennifer takes a sip of the beverage. “I agree with you, by the way, Florida is a better headquarters than North Carolina if the only consideration you have is business.”
“Is there any other consideration to have?”
“Of course. You should also consider tradition, something I thought someone like you would appreciate.”
Braddock furrows her brow. “Are you trying to say something, Jennifer?”
“Yes, I’m saying that this company belongs in North Carolina. And furthermore, this company belongs to me and my family. That is what we’re here to discuss, isn’t it?”
Glory stares defiantly into the eyes of Jennifer Alan. This is what makes Jennifer different from her brother. Whereas Matthew would use deceit and manipulation, Jennifer was almost always very blunt and straightforward. She is no different here with this meeting today.
“Getting straight to the point then, are we mate?”
“I don’t see any reason to beat around the bush, Braddock. We both want the same thing, and that is an end to a war that threatens to wipe out both our families.”
The British Bombshell takes a sip of her drink. “I agree. But don’t forget that you started all of this. You fired the first shots, quite literally, when my husband, my daughter, and myself were leaving our hotel several months ago. You hit Kurt and injured him but unfortunately for you I was still alive.”
Jennifer chuckles. “Cute, coming from the woman engaging in criminal activity in order to maintain control over her company.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Don’t play innocent, Braddock. I have my own connections and I know everything. The day after the news broke regarding my brother’s indictment on federal charges you saw an opportunity to get rid of our family’s supporters on your board of directors. So you hired a private investigator to do some digging. Am I right?” Jennifer stares at Glory, waiting for a response, but Braddock remains silent. Jennifer just chuckles as she sips her drink.
“That’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. Like I said, I already know. It’s doubtful that your PI found anything on my brother because, lets face it, he is good at covering his tracks. And covering his tracks meant covering the tracks of those loyal to him. But apparently he did leave one base left unchecked, that is the only way I can fathom you convincing Meagan Collins to work for you. You blackmailed her. And Meagan gave you all the information you needed to blackmail, bully, or otherwise force our loyal supporters off of the board of directors or to side with you. And yet here you speak with such righteous indignation about your family being targeted. What did you expect would happen, Braddock? And what did you expect would happen when you hired some assassins to target me and my family?”
Braddock takes a sip of her drink before setting it down. She points a finger at Jennifer. “I did not order the hit on your family, Jennifer. That was all Meagan. I did not authorize that, I would never authorize that.”
“Nevertheless your employee, Meagan Collins, did. So of course you should expect consequences from actions like that. You should have expected retaliation. Your family was targeted again, am I right? Twice from what I hear. I am glad to see that you are ok.”
Glory is fuming angry. Hate is boiling over. She wants to beat Jennifer Alan down within an inch of her life right here in this office but she knows that doing so is a huge mistake. Jennifer is just baiting her. Glory must maintain composure and she takes a deep breath to do so.
“Like I said, I did not authorize Meagan to do that. So I got rid of her.”
“Yes and how did you get rid of her? Oh, that’s right, the authorities conveniently showed up to arrest her when you conveniently turned over evidence that you just so happened to find to prove her guilt.” Jennifer smirks nastily. “You threw her under the bus. You accuse my brother of being a criminal and yet you’re no better than him.”
“I am no gangster.” Glory says as she defiantly shakes her head.
“Oh yes you are, you are a gangster and you are a hypocrite for pointing fingers at me and my family when you are guilty of the same.” Jennifer takes another sip of her drink and then sets the glass down. She stares down Glory Braddock. “So are you ready to take this meeting seriously? Because lets face it, this bickering is getting us nowhere. Just admit that you are not the saint you paint yourself to be in the public eye and then we can move forward.”
The British Bombshell stares into Jennifer’s defiant eyes. Glory pauses for just a moment before nodding her head. “You’re right, I haven’t been true to myself lately. I haven’t been a good person.”
“Good?” Jennifer chuckles. “There’s your mistake, Braddock. There is no such thing as good or bad when it comes to business. I admit you did well for yourself but to do that you had to quit caring about right or wrong. When you start caring about what’s right, about what’s good, then you will slowly lose your stomach. And the fact that you want to end this war shows me that you already have lost your stomach to be cutthroat and do what is necessary to keep and maintain power.”
“You think I’ve lost my stomach?” Braddock smirks. “Jennifer, I wonder if you have a soul. My daughter and husband could have been killed. My mother is in a coma. All of this because you targeted me. And your own family could have been seriously injured or killed because of an attack Meagan Collins authorized. Do you not care for the well being of your niece Geneva or your sister Aurora?”
“Of course I do.”
“It doesn’t sound like it. It sounds to me like you care more about getting what you want, you care only about yourself, and not your loved ones. That is the mistake I made. And I am doing my best to fix that. That is why I am here today meeting with you, Jennifer. I am trying to fix my own mistakes that led to this war. No one else needs to suffer because of our drive for corporate power.”
Jennifer pauses to consider Glory’s words. She takes a sip of her drink and sets the glass down. A smirk forms on her face. “You’re right, Braddock. This war needs to end and I am willing to pull whatever strings necessary to bring about a temporary ceasefire.”
“Temporary?” Glory doesn’t like to hear the word “temporary.” She arches her brow out of curiosity, wondering just what Jennifer meant.
“You see, Braddock, I do want something out of this.”
“What do you want?”
“I want this. I want this office building, I want all of the employees; in other words, I want my company back.”
“I bought it fair and square in 2012. It is not yours.”
“It should be mine. My brother was unjustly forced out of ownership by his business partner Mike Michaels. Michaels wanted to merge with Daniel Herrera’s IDW but my brother didn’t approve. He knew IDW was only taking advantage of us because they needed our help and we were going strong. This company could have and should have survived on its own and my brother knew it. Mike Michaels and Daniel Herrera forced him out because he wouldn’t go along with their stupid merger idea. The mere fact that it is here today is evidence that my brother was right. But this company should belong to my family. We started this company and we believed in this company when no one else did. Now I want it back.”
“You know I can’t do that.” Glory states as she defiantly shakes her head.
“Why? Because you worked so hard to rebuild this company? Because you made money off of my brother’s legacy? Because you refuse to quit? Now who is being prideful? Now who is thinking only of themselves?”
“That’s not what this is about and you know it.”
“Isn’t it?” Jennifer stands up and stares down at Glory Braddock. “Just think about my offer, Braddock. I will call for an end to the violence for now so that you have some time to think and I want you to think about your daughter, your husband, your mother, and all of your friends whom you have endangered because of this war you started. You can end it but you have to sell this company to me. I will pay a fair market value for the company. You will get your money’s worth. But make no mistake I want the company and if I don’t get it then the bloodshed will resume.”
With that Jennifer spins on her heel and storms out of the office. The British Bombshell sits there in utter silence. She is left with another difficult decision to make. She had hoped that it would never come to this. She does love her company but she also loves her family. She worked hard to build up this company and she is proud of the work she has put into it. But she also wants to see her family safe. The right thing to do is obvious, but Glory isn’t certain that she has the guts to do the right thing.
October 8th, 2020
Allentown, PA
Off Camera
==========
When you think of Glory Braddock you may think of something upscale, nice, and very luxurious. You would think that when it comes to restaurants or any other establishments where food and drink can be found, you would think of the finest of fine. What you don’t expect is the scene in Allentown, Pennsylvania; a dive, in the truest sense of the word.
The bar is hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing with the rock music that dominates the atmosphere. The bar curves into the room, dark in the barely lit room. Through the windows, the diamonds of lead panes, trickles the sallow light of street-lamps. The smell has changed over the years. Once it was of cigarette smoke only, the perfume that clung to clothing, skin and furniture alike. Now it is stale beer and body odour. There are establishments that are more like restaurants now - all clean with waiting staff. Not here. It was always a den of debauchery, alcoholism and the great unwashed of the town. It still is. No-one comes here with anything wholesome in mind.
This establishment was chosen by Glory best friend Matthew Taylor specifically because it is outside of her comfort zone. Matthew recalls the many times he and Glory would attend karaoke night at some bar after a wrestling show was over and they would almost always go to some little known, run down place such as this. And it is for this reason that Matthew chose this particular bar because he hopes it will trigger some of her old memories of the good old days.
Matthew can only hope that this works, as he sits at a table alongside Glory’s daughter Melinda. Across from them is Glory Braddock herself and Glory’s husband Kurt Logan. Matthew is feeling very awkward, considering the past two meetings with Glory ended with a romantic escape. He can only imagine how Glory is feeling right now, yet she appears to be enjoying herself. She has a beer sitting in front of her which she has been enjoying off and on all night. Her husband Kurt also is enjoying a beer. Matthew is staying dry tonight; he is the designated driver, which is unusual for him. He typically gets shitfaced and Glory is the driver. But he wants Glory to enjoy herself tonight and forget about all of the problems of the past.
“So how are you enjoying your first karaoke night, Kurt m’boy?” Matthew asks, trying to start some conversation. Kurt chuckles.
“This isn’t my first karaoke night and you should know this. Glory and I used to do this all the time. But she quit.”
“Why did we quit anyway?” Glory asks, chiming in. Kurt shrugs his shoulder.
“No clue. I think you just got so caught up in running your business and running the school that you forgot all about this.”
Braddock nods her head as she takes a sip of her beer. “You’re probably right.”
“To starting a new tradition?” Matthew asks, holding up his glass of water offering a toast. Melinda holds up her glass of pepsi and then Kurt and Glory join in with their beers. They all clink together for their toast before taking a sip. They continue to drink away while watching the front and the current singer, a balding middle aged man in a gray t-shirt and black dress pants. He is singing “Take it on the Run” by REO Speedwagon…
“Take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't need you around
I don't believe it, not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the run”
Matthew cannot help but hear these words from this song and think of himself and Glory. He looks over at Braddock to see if the same thoughts are running through her head but she seems unphased. She doesn’t even bat an eye. She’s just smiling, grinning ear to ear.
“Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around”
The music dies down and the people in attendance begin applauding, as do Matthew, Glory, Kurt, and Melinda. The balding man hands the microphone back to the DJ who begins to speak. “Everyone lets hear it for Gary!”
Another polite applause rings out. The DJ checks his list. Matthew watches on and he has been counting down. He suspects that he knows who is next. “And coming up next we have Gloria!”
Braddock sets her beer down and looks over at Melinda, Kurt, and Matthew. “Any requests?”
“Wet Ass Pus…” Melinda begins until her mother shoots her a dirty look. Melinda smirks jokingly. “...just kidding!”
“How about Martina McBride?” Kurt suggests.
“Seriously?” Glory asks. “My cousin, Angelica, who IS a trained singer, can pull that off. But I am anything but trained. I would look awful.”
“Who cares if you’re trained? This isn’t about looking good. Karaoke is about having fun, remember?” Matthew says, hoping Glory will remember that the point of all this is to have fun and to enjoy herself. Glory nods as she seems to get the message.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Braddock stands up and steps away from the table. She takes in a deep breath before approaching the front to stand by the DJ. This is the first time in a very long time she has done karaoke, so of course there are some nerves. The DJ leans over, giving Glory his ear so she can whisper to him what her song choice is.
“Independence Day.”
“Martina?”
“Yes.”
“You got it.”
The DJ hands Glory the microphone as she gazes out at the crowd in attendance. Very few are paying any attention as they are mostly drunk. There a few out there paying attention and among those few there are fewer still who believe that this woman seems familiar, as if they have seen her before. And who knows? Glory Braddock is the reigning MWE Riot Champion and SCW Adrenaline Champion. Perhaps they have seen her on television before? Maybe they have seen Glory Braddock wrestle but cannot quite connect the dots?
Glory casts a gaze towards her table. Matthew and Kurt both give her a thumbs up and her daughter Melinda smiles and waves. Glory is beginning to feel a little more comfortable as the opening chords to Independence Day begins…
“Well she seemed alright by dawn's early light
Though she looked a little worried and weak.
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again
But daddy left the proof on her cheek.
And I was only eight years old that summer
And I always seemed to be in the way
So I took myself down to the fair in town
On Independence Day.”
Many in the bar recognize this song and a low roar is heard. They are also cheering because they recognize her natural ability. Glory is feeling more comfortable and starts to relax a little.
“Well word gets around in a small, small town
They said he was a dangerous man
But mama was proud and she stood her ground
But she knew she was on the losin' end.
Some folks whispered and some folks talked
But everybody looked the other way
And when time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day.”
“Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day.”
Meanwhile back at the table Kurt and Melinda are soaking it all up, enjoying Glory’s performance. Matthew Taylor is enjoying the performance as well but for different reasons. He is noticing the little things. Glory is dancing now and really putting on a show, just like she used to do when he and Glory went out for karaoke night. It also hasn’t gone underneath his notice the way she is dressed; plain denim jeans, sneakers, and a tank top. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She isn’t dressed like a queen or a princess. She is dressed as Glory, the Glory Matthew remembers.
“Well, she lit up the sky that fourth of July
By the time that the firemen come
They just put out the flames
And took down some names
And send me to the county home.
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong
But maybe it's the only way.
Talk about your revolution
It's Independence Day.”
The British Bombshell approaches her table and, much to the shock of her family, specifically Melinda, grabs her and pulls her to her feet and onto the floor. Melinda wasn’t expecting this as her mother seems to encourage her to join in. Matthew gets up out of his seat and takes Melinda and offers a dance. Melinda seems ok with this and the two dance while her mother continues to sing her heart out.
“Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning.
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day.
Roll the stone away
It's Independence Day.”
The crowd in attendance cheer loudly. Whether they are being sincere or just polite, Glory doesn’t care. She simply enjoyed herself and that is what’s most important. She hands the microphone back to the DJ.
“Ladies and gentlemen lets hear it for Gloria!”
Another cheer erupts and Glory takes a bow and then walks with her daughter and Matthew back to the table. Kurt chuckles lightly.
“Great performance you three…” he gives his wife a kiss on the cheek “...especially you, babe.”
“Thanks, love.” Glory says with a blush.
“A heads up would be better next time, mom.” Melinda remarks.
“Expect the unexpected around your mother.” Matthew chimes in with a playful wink.
“I learned from a master.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Who says I was talking about you, Matt? I could have learned my performance skills from dad?”
“Are we seriously to believe that your singing ability came from Glenn Braddock The Barbarian? C’mon, Glory, you said it yourself that your cousin is the singer of the family. That tells me that your singing skills probably come from your mother’s side.”
Glory chuckles lightly and nods her head. “You’re probably right. Either way, this feels great. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”
“Really?” Kurt asks. Glory nods her head.
“Yes. I’ve been kicking myself over failing to capture the world title and perhaps injuring Helms, I’ve been obsessing over my business and the school, but now I feel good. I feel better.”
“It’s because you’re starting to enjoy yourself again.” Matthew points out. “It’s what you’ve been missing and neglecting for a long time now. When you refuse to stop and take time to just enjoy yourself then the stress of any and all situations you find yourself in starts to slowly deteriorate your mind. You need to stop and smell the roses every and now and then, mate.”
Braddock rolls her eyes. “What did I tell you about being a philosopher?”
“Sorry, I get it from my sister. She made me read this stupid book about…” Matthew’s cell phone suddenly starts going off. He looks at it and the caller ID reads Francis Taylor. Francis is Matthew’s sister and the president of Glory’s company. “Oh, speak of the devil incarnate…”
“That’s no way to speak of your family.” Glory remarks.
“Wonder what she wants?” Matthew answers the phone and puts it to his ear as he listens intensely. “Yes, what’s up?”
Matthew’s demeanor suddenly changes. He looks worried and nervous. “Whoa, calm down. Repeat that again, but slowly…” he listens again and he looks even more worried “...ok, just call the police. Ok? Yeah, Glory is with me. I’ll tell her. Bye.”
Matthew hangs up. Glory, Kurt, and Melinda all look nervous by now, concerned over what has gone on. “What is it, Matt?”
“Someone tried to kill my sister.”
“What?!” Glory is in shock by this revelation. Matthew nods his head, confirming it to be true.
“She was sent some kind of powder. Possibly anthrax.”
“Assassination plot.” Glory states definitively.
“But how do you…” Matthew begins but Glory cuts him off.
“Isn’t it obvious? This power struggle over my company is still not over.”
The weight of this news is stunning to Glory Braddock. Her actions led to this power struggle, her actions caused these people to want to kill her or send her a message. The first three times they tried targeting her directly now. They are targeting her indirectly. Now they targeted a friend’s sibling who happens to be the president of her company. Glory Braddock cannot help but feel responsible for this. Her actions led to this.
“This is all on my head, Matt. I’m sorry.” Glory says slowly, quietly.
“Don’t say that.” Matthew responds.
“He’s right, what those criminals do is not your responsibility.”
“I brought this upon her, upon you Kurt, upon all of us. My actions brought this on. And now, I need to fix this.”
==========
October 12th, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
There is an old saying, a proverbial warning if you will, about “chickens coming home to roost.” What does it mean, though? When used as a noun, the word ‘roost' refers to the place where birds rest. When a bird roosts somewhere, it rests there. This rather old saying, ‘chickens have come home to roost', is normally used to mean that the bad things that someone has done in the past have come back to bite or haunt the individual. In other words, it is a warning that your actions in the past, no matter how long ago those actions may have been, will eventually come back to haunt you. Further it is a warning that you cannot run from your past. You cannot hide from it. You will one day have to face it.
Facing down challenges is something Glory Braddock is used to by now. During her wrestling career she has faced down the challenges of many champions, and in the process winning many pieces of gold for her trophy case, and as of now she is the MWE Riot Champion, set to defend that gold against Topher Constantine Jr at the MWE 3 Year Anniversary show. The British Bombshell has taken on other challenges as well, including the challenge of training a new generation of professional wrestlers by taking charge of her late father’s wrestling school. Braddock has also taken on the challenge of the corporate world by buying her own wrestling promotion and building it up into her own image.
Her career has been a success by anyone’s definition and she should be proud of what she has achieved. Unfortunately Braddock has fallen prey to the same flaw of her father; she wanted more. She was not content with the success she had, she wanted to continue to move forward with bigger and better challenges. She wanted to push herself in every aspect of her career. This obsession with being the best has led to some poor decisions and bad judgment and those poor decisions are now coming back to haunt her. Glory’s chickens are coming home to roost at the worst possible time.
Even before her debut as a professional wrestler in 2008, Glory Braddock knew what she wanted to do; make a positive impact for the sport of wrestling. Her family, beginning with Glenn Braddock himself, the patriarch of the family, has always worked hard to improve the sport and Glory knew that she would one day be responsible for continuing his legacy and mission. Now that her father has passed on, the entire mission of the Braddock family has fallen upon her shoulders. The self-proclaimed Best in the World has done that through her wrestling career and by running her father’s school, but she knew she could also make an impact in the business side of professional wrestling. Throughout her career as a wrestler she would watch as corporate suits would ruin the wrestling business; but she knew she could do better. Buying her company, GCW, back in 2012 gave her the opportunity to prove it. And over the past several years she has been working to consolidate power and remove any threat to her rule. Yet the cutthroat tactics she used to obtain unquestioned power in her company has placed her friends and family in grave danger.
Her family was targeted twice by gunmen, once outside of a hotel and they struck her husband Kurt Logan instead of Glory; they tried a second time outside of a church and they struck Glory’s mother Mary Ford who still is in a medically induced coma as a result. A third time assassins tried to kill Glory by running her off of the road. And now, most recently, they tried to poison Francis Taylor, the president of GCW and sister of Glory’s close friend Matthew Taylor. There is no question in Glory’s mind as to who is behind these attacks…
The Alan Family.
Matthew Alan founded the very company Glory now owns. Matthew himself is being tried for white collar crimes but there are factions within the company with connections to other members of his family who would like to see him or his family back in charge of the company. Glory truly believes that these are coordinated attacks intended to bully her out of power or to simply assassinate her so that they can install whoever they want as the new CEO of the company. So how does Glory respond?
The prideful side of The British Bombshell wants to fight back. She doesn’t want to let them get what they want and she doesn’t want to let go of what she fought so hard to obtain. But there is another part of her that questions whether this fight is worth it. Her friends and family have taken the brunt of this assault already and they are lucky to be alive. Who knows how long until their luck runs out and these assassins finally succeed?
All of those questions are on the mind of The British Bombshell who finds herself in her corporate offices at Miami, Florida. The office was painted grey, and it had only one floor-to-ceiling window, which faced the main road. On the grey desk sat a desktop computer, a notebook lying open, and a stack of papers sitting under a turtle-shaped paperweight. In a corner, the air conditioner was blasting at medium, and there was a swivel chair in the middle of the office. A bookshelf, bursting with books was in a corner, with yet another stack of papers under a paperweight that was shaped to look like a tuft of grass. A few pens were lying on the papers, but some had fallen onto the top of the bookshelf.
She is sitting in her office, behind her desk, that is right by a large window that overlooks the Miami skyline. The beautiful blonde is wearing a black pencil skirt that flatters her curves, a matching black suit coat over a white silky blouse. Her feet are encased in black peep-toe high heeled pumps. Her long gorgeous golden blonde locks of hair hang to just below the shoulders. The intense look on her face tells the story of a woman prepared to do anything to defend herself and her family. Today she is to confront the woman she believes may be responsible for everything…
...Matthew Alan’s sister, Jennifer Alan.
BUZZ! The buzzing from her desk phone indicates that her secretary is calling her. Glory presses a button on the phone to turn it on speaker…
“Yes?”
“Ms. Braddock, your...um...eleven o’clock is here to see you.”
“Jennifer Alan?” Glory asks, just to be certain. There is a pause from the other end before she receives her answer in the affirmative.
“Yes, Ms. Braddock.”
“Good, send her in.”
The SCW Adrenaline Champion steels herself in preparation for what she expects to be a tense and rather volatile meeting. This will also be a challenging meeting. Glory Braddock was taught about business by a woman she once considered an adoptive mother, Aphrodite Noel. Jennifer Alan, however, grew up in and around the corporate world. Business is all Jennifer Alan has ever known. Glory will be entering Jennifer’s world in an attempt to end this war. The only thing Braddock has going for her is the fact that Glory is rather comfortable in this world herself.
She watches as the door to her office slowly opens. Jennifer Alan herself steps in the door and shuts it behind her. Jennifer is wearing a dark floral print blouse, a nice pair of dress pants, black patent leather high heel pumps, and her long brown hair has a few curls to it but is otherwise left to hang straight and unrestrained to shoulder length. Jennifer has a stoic gaze upon her face, as does Braddock. Neither wants to be the first to blink, neither wants to give anything away. It is almost like playing poker.
“Ms. Alan, I am glad you could make it.” Glory is the first to speak, breaking the cold, tense ice of this moment. She motions to a seat in front of her desk. “Please, sit down.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Jennifer sits down in a chair and looks around at the office, taking in the atmosphere and environment. She nods her head, almost looking somewhat impressed. “This is a nice office, Braddock.”
“Only the best. I hope your trip to Miami wasn’t too difficult.”
“Not at all. I love Miami, actually.”
A confident smirk forms on Glory’s face as she begins to feel more comfortable. “Me too. It is part of why I moved corporate headquarters out of North Carolina and down here to Florida, that and because of the fact that Florida is more business friendly than North Carolina.”
Glory reaches into her desk and produces two small glasses. She slides one across to Jennifer and keeps one for herself. She reaches back into her desk and produces a small bottle of an alcoholic beverage. She pours some into Jennifer’s glass and then pours some into hers.
“Thank you.” Jennifer takes a sip of the beverage. “I agree with you, by the way, Florida is a better headquarters than North Carolina if the only consideration you have is business.”
“Is there any other consideration to have?”
“Of course. You should also consider tradition, something I thought someone like you would appreciate.”
Braddock furrows her brow. “Are you trying to say something, Jennifer?”
“Yes, I’m saying that this company belongs in North Carolina. And furthermore, this company belongs to me and my family. That is what we’re here to discuss, isn’t it?”
Glory stares defiantly into the eyes of Jennifer Alan. This is what makes Jennifer different from her brother. Whereas Matthew would use deceit and manipulation, Jennifer was almost always very blunt and straightforward. She is no different here with this meeting today.
“Getting straight to the point then, are we mate?”
“I don’t see any reason to beat around the bush, Braddock. We both want the same thing, and that is an end to a war that threatens to wipe out both our families.”
The British Bombshell takes a sip of her drink. “I agree. But don’t forget that you started all of this. You fired the first shots, quite literally, when my husband, my daughter, and myself were leaving our hotel several months ago. You hit Kurt and injured him but unfortunately for you I was still alive.”
Jennifer chuckles. “Cute, coming from the woman engaging in criminal activity in order to maintain control over her company.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Don’t play innocent, Braddock. I have my own connections and I know everything. The day after the news broke regarding my brother’s indictment on federal charges you saw an opportunity to get rid of our family’s supporters on your board of directors. So you hired a private investigator to do some digging. Am I right?” Jennifer stares at Glory, waiting for a response, but Braddock remains silent. Jennifer just chuckles as she sips her drink.
“That’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. Like I said, I already know. It’s doubtful that your PI found anything on my brother because, lets face it, he is good at covering his tracks. And covering his tracks meant covering the tracks of those loyal to him. But apparently he did leave one base left unchecked, that is the only way I can fathom you convincing Meagan Collins to work for you. You blackmailed her. And Meagan gave you all the information you needed to blackmail, bully, or otherwise force our loyal supporters off of the board of directors or to side with you. And yet here you speak with such righteous indignation about your family being targeted. What did you expect would happen, Braddock? And what did you expect would happen when you hired some assassins to target me and my family?”
Braddock takes a sip of her drink before setting it down. She points a finger at Jennifer. “I did not order the hit on your family, Jennifer. That was all Meagan. I did not authorize that, I would never authorize that.”
“Nevertheless your employee, Meagan Collins, did. So of course you should expect consequences from actions like that. You should have expected retaliation. Your family was targeted again, am I right? Twice from what I hear. I am glad to see that you are ok.”
Glory is fuming angry. Hate is boiling over. She wants to beat Jennifer Alan down within an inch of her life right here in this office but she knows that doing so is a huge mistake. Jennifer is just baiting her. Glory must maintain composure and she takes a deep breath to do so.
“Like I said, I did not authorize Meagan to do that. So I got rid of her.”
“Yes and how did you get rid of her? Oh, that’s right, the authorities conveniently showed up to arrest her when you conveniently turned over evidence that you just so happened to find to prove her guilt.” Jennifer smirks nastily. “You threw her under the bus. You accuse my brother of being a criminal and yet you’re no better than him.”
“I am no gangster.” Glory says as she defiantly shakes her head.
“Oh yes you are, you are a gangster and you are a hypocrite for pointing fingers at me and my family when you are guilty of the same.” Jennifer takes another sip of her drink and then sets the glass down. She stares down Glory Braddock. “So are you ready to take this meeting seriously? Because lets face it, this bickering is getting us nowhere. Just admit that you are not the saint you paint yourself to be in the public eye and then we can move forward.”
The British Bombshell stares into Jennifer’s defiant eyes. Glory pauses for just a moment before nodding her head. “You’re right, I haven’t been true to myself lately. I haven’t been a good person.”
“Good?” Jennifer chuckles. “There’s your mistake, Braddock. There is no such thing as good or bad when it comes to business. I admit you did well for yourself but to do that you had to quit caring about right or wrong. When you start caring about what’s right, about what’s good, then you will slowly lose your stomach. And the fact that you want to end this war shows me that you already have lost your stomach to be cutthroat and do what is necessary to keep and maintain power.”
“You think I’ve lost my stomach?” Braddock smirks. “Jennifer, I wonder if you have a soul. My daughter and husband could have been killed. My mother is in a coma. All of this because you targeted me. And your own family could have been seriously injured or killed because of an attack Meagan Collins authorized. Do you not care for the well being of your niece Geneva or your sister Aurora?”
“Of course I do.”
“It doesn’t sound like it. It sounds to me like you care more about getting what you want, you care only about yourself, and not your loved ones. That is the mistake I made. And I am doing my best to fix that. That is why I am here today meeting with you, Jennifer. I am trying to fix my own mistakes that led to this war. No one else needs to suffer because of our drive for corporate power.”
Jennifer pauses to consider Glory’s words. She takes a sip of her drink and sets the glass down. A smirk forms on her face. “You’re right, Braddock. This war needs to end and I am willing to pull whatever strings necessary to bring about a temporary ceasefire.”
“Temporary?” Glory doesn’t like to hear the word “temporary.” She arches her brow out of curiosity, wondering just what Jennifer meant.
“You see, Braddock, I do want something out of this.”
“What do you want?”
“I want this. I want this office building, I want all of the employees; in other words, I want my company back.”
“I bought it fair and square in 2012. It is not yours.”
“It should be mine. My brother was unjustly forced out of ownership by his business partner Mike Michaels. Michaels wanted to merge with Daniel Herrera’s IDW but my brother didn’t approve. He knew IDW was only taking advantage of us because they needed our help and we were going strong. This company could have and should have survived on its own and my brother knew it. Mike Michaels and Daniel Herrera forced him out because he wouldn’t go along with their stupid merger idea. The mere fact that it is here today is evidence that my brother was right. But this company should belong to my family. We started this company and we believed in this company when no one else did. Now I want it back.”
“You know I can’t do that.” Glory states as she defiantly shakes her head.
“Why? Because you worked so hard to rebuild this company? Because you made money off of my brother’s legacy? Because you refuse to quit? Now who is being prideful? Now who is thinking only of themselves?”
“That’s not what this is about and you know it.”
“Isn’t it?” Jennifer stands up and stares down at Glory Braddock. “Just think about my offer, Braddock. I will call for an end to the violence for now so that you have some time to think and I want you to think about your daughter, your husband, your mother, and all of your friends whom you have endangered because of this war you started. You can end it but you have to sell this company to me. I will pay a fair market value for the company. You will get your money’s worth. But make no mistake I want the company and if I don’t get it then the bloodshed will resume.”
With that Jennifer spins on her heel and storms out of the office. The British Bombshell sits there in utter silence. She is left with another difficult decision to make. She had hoped that it would never come to this. She does love her company but she also loves her family. She worked hard to build up this company and she is proud of the work she has put into it. But she also wants to see her family safe. The right thing to do is obvious, but Glory isn’t certain that she has the guts to do the right thing.